Control device for a protective alarm system



1966 H. s. SHOFFSTALL 3,233,054

CONTROL DEVICE FOR A PROTECTIVE ALARM SYSTEM Filed Dec. 26, 1963 3Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGL13- 116;]

1N VENTOR.

BY Glfiij A T70R05 Y5.

Feb. 1, 1966 H. s. SHOFFSTALL 3,233,054

CONTROL DEVICE FOR A PROTECTIVE ALARM SYSTEM Filed Dec. 26, 1963 3Sheets-Sheet 2 zzz m r'r- Ln 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR BY 62d: 6L0

1966 H.'S. SHOFFSTALL 3,233,054

CONTROL DEVICE FOR A PROTECTIVE ALARM SYSTEM Filed Dec. 26, 1963 3Sheets-Sheet 5 a 1- 56 63 ITZGHB.

United States Patent 3,233,054 CONTROL DEVICE FOR A PROTECTIVE ALARMSYSTEM Herbert S. Shoffstall, 428 Keswick Ave., Glenside, Pa. Filed Dec.26, 1963, Ser. No. 333,344 8 Claims. (Cl. 200--61.62)

This invention relates to a control device for a protective alarmsystem.

The alarm control device of the present invention is suitable for home,ofiice or other installation. It is designed to be operated by theopening or movement of a window, door, or other closure element totrigger an alarm system. The alarm system itself is not part of thepresent invention. The alarm system may include any of a large varietyof electrically operated alarm devices, such as bells, horns, sirens,lights, etc., and may also include a master control panel.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an alarmcontrol device.

A further object is to provide an alarm control device which may beinstalled on or at a window, door or other closure element, to beactuated by the opening or movement thereof to trigger an alarm systemof some kind.

While the alarm control device of the present invention is adapted for alarge variety of installations and purposes, it will be convenient toillustrate and describe the device installed at a well-known type ofdouble-hung wood window.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a wood window frame anddouble-hung Window sash showing the alarm control device of the presentinvention installed thereat;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the alarm control device of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is the top plan view, partly in section, looking down along theline III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, looking in alongthe line IVIV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the installed alarm controldevice;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view in perspective showing the component parts ofthe alarm control device as seen from the rear;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the channel block, one of thecomponent parts shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, looking in alongthe line VIIIVIII of FIG. 4, showing the control mechanism in the OFFposition;

FIGS. 912 are views similar to FIG. 8 showing the control mechanism inthe ON, actuated, reset-ready and reset positions, respectively, and

FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of one form of alarm systemcontrollable by the control device of the present invention.

It will be convenient to refer first to the exploded view of FIG. 6. InFIG. 6, the component parts 21, 22, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33 and 34, whenassembled, are mounted on the movable window sash and form What may beconveniently identified herein as the sash-mounted control device 40.The device 40 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as mounted in the upper leftcorner of the lower window sash 41.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the reference number 50 identifies anelongated channel member of electrically nonconductive material which,in FIG. 1, is shown to be mounted vertically on the inside of the windowframe 52 along the upper half of the frame. Inside of the channel 50,two strips 53 and 54 of copper or other suitable conductive material aremounted in parallel spaced-apart relation. The strips 53 and 54 maypreferably be T-shaped 3,233,054 Patented Feb. 1, 1966 and inserted ingrooves provided in the channel member 50, as indicated in FIG. 6.

The remaining components of FIG. 6, identified as 61, 62, 63 and 64,when assembled, form what may be con- 5 veniently identified herein asthe sliding block 60. This block 60 is inserted into the channel member50 and is interlocked to the sash control device 40 by one means oranother, as will be described. Thus, as the lower window sash 41 ismoved up or down, the block 60 follows, sliding along in channel member50.

Channel member 50 may preferably be formed of hard plastic material. Itis open on one side, the side which faces inwardly toward the windowsash. Flanges 55 and 56, one on each side of the opening, extend fromthe channel member 50 toward the window sash. The cavity of channelmember 50 is thus T-shaped in cross-section. Into this cavity, theT-shaped block 61 is inserted. The

narrow portion of block 61 is provided with a cross-slot Bar 64 is madeof brass or other suitable conductive.

material. It is provided with a tapped hole at its center for receivingthe threaded stem of plunger 62. Thus, bar

64 functions as the nut for attaching the plunger 62 to the block 61.

Plunger 62 has a head portion 67 and a stem portion best in FIG. 7, hole66 is located at the level of the cross-,

slot 65. p p

A helical compression spring 63 is placed in the hole- 66 and functionsto bias or load plunger 62 so that its head 67 tends to protrude beyondthe outer surface of theleg of the block 61, as seen in FIGS. 8-12. Whenthe block assembly 60 is placed in the channel member50,

the spring-biased plunger 62 maintains the rectangular nut 64 in contactwith the conductive strips 53, 54. If, by;

any means, the plunger 62 is depressed, the nut'64 is moved back out ofcontact with the strips 53, 54. The;

function of the window sash control device 40 is to con-v r trol theposition of the plunger 62, thereby to control whether the conductivenut 64 does or does not connect together electrically the strips 53 and54.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the sash-mounted control device 40 consistsof a pair of rectangular bodies 21 and 22 which may preferably be ofaluminum. These bodies, 21 and 22 are mounted in face-to-face relationon the.

window sash 41, as by four screws, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and5. The face of block'22 is provided with a horizontally disposed upperslot 23 for receiving the toothed bar or rack 24, and wtih ahorizontally disposed lower slot 25 for receiving the toothed bar orrack 26. Between the upper and lower slots 23 and 25, the face of block22 is provided with a generally circular well 27 for receiving the gearor pinion 28. The block 22 is provided with a center hole 30 forreceivingthe shaft- 29 of the pinion 28.

A control knob 31 is adapted to be placed on the protruding end of thepinion shaft 29 and to be secured thereto, as by the set screw 32.

The face of the block 22 is also provided, at one side thereof, with avertically elongated recess 37a which, when the two blocks 22 and 21 arein face-to-face abutting relation, mates with a recess 37b in the faceof block 21. Each of the recesses 37a and 37b has an upper portion whichis shallow in depth and a lower portion which is deeper. When the twoblocks 22 and 21 abut each other, the recesses 37a and37b form acylindrical upper recess 370 of shallow depth having a diameter slightlylarger than that of the head 67 of plunger 62, and an adjoiningcylindrical lower recess 37d having substantially the same diameter as370 but of greater depth. As seen in FIGS. 812, the shallow-depth recess370 receives plunger 62 but is not deep enough to allow the loadedplunger to move sufliciently far to bring nut 64 into contact with thestrips 53, 54 at the wall of channel member 50. However, the deeperrecess 37d, when it receives plunger 62, is deep enough to allow contactbetween nut 64 and strips 53, 54 to be made.

The rear surface of block 22 is provided with an offcenter hole, notvisible in FIG. 6 but seen in section in FIG. 3, for receiving thespring 33 and the ball detent 34. The inner surface of control knob 31is provided with three circular recesses on an arcuate path forreceiving the ball detent 34. These recesses identify the OFF, ON andRESET positions, as indicated in FIG. 6 of the drawing. Control knob 31is also provided with an indexing pointer 35.

In assembling the sash-mounted control device 46, the control knob 31 isplaced on the pinion shaft 29 in such angular position that when thepointer 35 points to the OFF position (FIG. 2) the ball detent 34 is inthe OFF recess (FIG. 6) and the racks 24 and 26 occupy the positionsillustrated in FIG. 8. When the knob 31 is rotated (clockwise in FIG. 2;counterclockwise as viewed from the rear in FIG. 6) until the balldetent 34 enters the ON recess (FIG. 6), the racks 24 and 26 are changedfrom the positions shown in FIG. 8 to the positions illustrated in FIGS.9 and 10. Further rotation of the knob 31, until the ball detent 34enters the RESET recess (FIG. 6), will change the racks 24 and 26 to thepositions illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12.

The operation or the alarm control device, as used in a typical manner,may best be described by referring to FIGS. 8-12. These figures view thedevice from the rear.

In the OFF position, FIG. 8, the protruding end of the upper rack 24enters the cross slot 69 in the leg of block 61 and locks thesash-mounted control device 40 to the block assembly 60, and the twomove up and down together as the window sash 41 is moved up and down. Inthis interlocked position, the plunger 62 is in alignment with the uppershallow recess 37c and the head 67 of the plunger is spring-pressed byspring 68 into this recess 370. The conductive bar or nut 64 is rearwardof the copper strips 53, 54 and not in contact therewith.

Assume that the window is in a bedroom and that the occupant desires toretire for the night with the window partly open for ventilation. Thelower window sash 41 is raised to the desired height carrying thesliding block assembly 60 upward with the sash-mounted control box 40.The control knob 31 is then turned to the ON position. This places theupper and lower racks 24 and 26 in the positions illustrated in FIGS. 9and in which the end of rack 24 no longer extends into the cross-slot 69of the sliding block assembly 60. The plunger head 67 is still in theshallow upper recess 37c and the conductive nut 64 is still in theposition illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, out of contract with theconductive strips 53 and 54.

Assume that an intruder, in an attempt to enter the room, starts toraise the lower sash 41. As soon as the sash 41 is moved upward, in thedirection indicated by the arrow in FIG. 10, the sash-mounted controlbox 40 moves upward relative to the block assembly 60 and the head 67 ofthe plunger slips down into the lower recess 37d. This recess 370, beingdeeper, aliows the springbiased plunger to move outwardly and theconductive nut 64 is pulled forwardly and makes immediate contact withthe conductive strips 53 and 54. These strips are connected to theelectrical alarm system, and as soon as the electrical circuit isclosed, by the nut 64 connecting the strips 53, 54, the alarm isactuated. The nut 64 is maintained in contact with the strips 53, 54, solong as the plunger head 67 is in the deep lower recess 37d. As seen inFIG. 10, as soon as the plunger slips into the deep lower recess 37d,the plunger interlocks the block assembly 66 to the sash-mounted controlbox 40, and the window sash 41 may thereafter be moved in either the upor down direction Without disturbing the interlocked condition andwithout breaking the contact of nut 64 with the strips 53, 54. Thus, thealarm system remains energized.

To reset the alarm control device, the control knob 31 is turned to theRESET position (clockwise in FIG. I; counterclockwise in FIGS. 812). Inso doing, the lower rack 26 is pushed outwardly against the end of theplunger head 67 and pushes the plunger 62 back into the recess 66 in theblock assembly 66 until the end of the plunger head 67 is substantiallyin alignment with the end of the shallow recess 37c. The conductive nut64 is now pushed away from the copper strips 53 and 54, as seen in FIG.11. The window sash 41 is then lowered, in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 12 and almost immediately the head 67 of the plunger slips into theshallow upper recess 37c, as depicted in FIG. 12. The upper rack 24 isnow in alignment with the cross slot 69, and the knob 31 is then turnedto the OFF position in which the upper rack 24 is in the fully extendedinterlocking position illustrated in FIG. 8. Or, knob 31 may be turnedON.

The connecting together of the conductive strips 53 and 54 by theconductive nut 64 closes an electrical circuit of an alarm system whichmay take any one of many forms. FIG. 13 represents schematically oneform of alarm control circuitry.

In FIG. 13, reference numeral 70 represents an alarm device of somekind, such as a hell, or a horn, or a lamp, or any other suitableelectrical device. Device "F0 is adapted to be energized by a 1l0-voltsupply 71 through a relay switch 72. Relay switch 72 is normallymaintained open by a low 6-volt supply supplied from transformer '73through suitable conductor leads including the conductive window strips53 and 54. Transformer 73 is supplied from the usual 1l0-volt housesupply. When the plunger 62 slips into the deep recess 37d and allowsthe nut 64 to contact the strips 53 and 54, relay 72 is shorted out, andthe relay switch closes, thereby connecting the llO-volt source '71 tothe alarm device and actuating it.

It will be seen that in a system such as that of FIG. 13, only a lowvoltage is supplied to the window strips 53 and 54. Thus, there is nodanger of electrical shock or fire.

The overall alarm system may, of course, be as elaborate, as desired. Amaster control panel may, for example, be used at a selected location toindicate the particular window or door which has been moved in adirection to open the same.

While the preferred embodiment of this invention has been described insome detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made without departing from the invention ashereinafter claimed;

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a protective system for a window, door, or other movable closureelement; a two-part control device having a first part installed on saidmovable closure element and a second part installed adjacent thereto;said second part comprising a pair of paralleled conductive strips atspaced separation mounted adjacent to said movable closure element, aplunger, a conductive bar connected to said plunger and transverselydisposed relative to said conductive strips, and a biasing spring forbiasing said plunger in a direction to move said conductive bar intocontact with both said strips; said first part comprising a body mountedon said movable closure element, a recess in said body having a shallowportion and a parallel adjacent deep portion, each portion of saidrecess being adapted separately to receive said plunger, said deepportion having a depth suflicient to allow said biased plunger to movein the biased direction sufficiently to move said conductive bar intocontact position with said strips, said shallow portion having aninsufficient depth to allow said biased plunger to move said conductivebar to contacting position, interlocking means for interlocking saidfirst and second parts together in such position that said plunger isaligned with said shallow portion of said recess, and manual controlmeans for controlling said interlocking means.

2. A control device according to claim 1 characterized in that saidsecond part includes an elongated channel member of non-conductivematerial in which said conductive strips are mounted at spacedseparation.

3. A control device according to claim 2 further characterized in thatsaid second part includes a block of nonconductive material slidablewithin said channel member, and further characterized in that saidplunger, conductive bar and biasing spring are carried by said slidableblock.

4. A control device according to claim 3 further characterized in thatsaid interlocking means comprises a rack and pinion mounted in said bodyof first part, and a slot in said slidable block for receiving the endof said rack when moved forward by said pinion.

5. A control device according to claim 4 further characterized in theprovision of a second rack mounted in the body of said first part anddisposed in alignment with the deep portion of said recess, said secondrack being adapted to be moved forward by rotation of said pinion intosaid deep portion of said recess, for moving said biased plunger againstthe action of its biasing spring to reset said control device.

6. A control device according to claim 5 further characterized in thatsaid pinion is mounted on a shaft which protrudes from the body of saidfirst part, and in that a control knob is secured to the protruding endof said pinion shaft.

7. A control device according to claim 6 further characterized in thatthe control knob is provided with detent means for placing said controlknob in any one of three positions corresponding to the OE, on and resetconditions of said control device. I

8. In a protective alarm system for a movable closure element; a firstbody mounted on said movable closure element; a second body disposedadjacent to said first body and having a cavity therein for receiving aplunger; a plunger in said cavity; a compression spring in said cavitytending to cause said plunger to protrude forwardly from said cavity; abar of electrically conductive material connected to the rea1ward end ofsaid plunger; electrical conductor means fixedly mounted near to saidbar; means for normally aligning said first and second bodies inrelative positions such that said first body prevents said plunger frombeing moved fully forward by said spring for preventing said conductivebar from making contact with said fixed electrical conductor means;recess in said first body for receiving said plunger, said recess beingnormally out of alignment with said plunger but movable into alignmenttherewith upon movement of said closure element, thereby to allow saidspring to move said plunger into said recess, thereby to move saidconductive bar into contact with said fixed electrical conductor means.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

8. IN A PROTECTIVE ALARM SYSTEM FOR A MOVABLE CLOSURE ELEMENT; A FIRSTBODY MOUNTED ON SAID MOVABLE CLOSURE ELEMENT; A SECOND BODY DISPOSEDADJACENT TO SAID FIRST BODY AND HAVING A CAVITY THEREIN FOR RECEIVING APLUNGER; A PLUNGER IN SAID CAVITY; A COMPRESSION SPRING IN SAID CAVITYTENDING TO CAUSE SAID PLUNGER TO PROTRUDE FORWARDLY FROM SAID CAVITY; ABAR OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL CONNECTED TO THE REARWARD END OFSAID PLUNGER; ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED NEAR TO SAIDBAR; MEANS FOR NORMALLY ALIGNING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES INRELATIVE POSITIONS SUCH THAT SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES IN RELATIVEFROM BEING MOVED FULLY FORWARD BY SAID SPRING FOR PREVENTING SAIDCONDUCTIVE BAR FROM MAKING CONTACT WITH SAID FIXED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORMEANS; RECESS IN SAID FIRST BODY FOR RECEIVING SAID PLUNGER, SAID RECESSBEING NORMALLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PLUNGER BUT MOVABLE INTOALIGNMENT THEREWITH UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE ELEMENT, THEREBY TOALLOW SAID SPRING TO MOVE SAID PLUNGER INTO SAID RECESS, THEREBY TO MOVESAID CONDUCTIVE BAR INTO CONTACT WITH SAID FIXED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORMEANS.